The Ghost From Christmas Past
by RoverGirl
Summary: NCS Story. Captain Scarlet visits a long since retired Destiny Angel near Christmas.


Disclaimer: I do not own Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet. This is merely a fan-based fiction.  
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He always called in advance. Three times usually. She would never forget that. Scarlet always called and his voice was like a whisper from the darkness.

He always called her up encase he couldn't come, encase something cropped up or tell her he had leave, always at Christmas.

She hated it when he visited her during his time off as she wanted him to spend it with his family, knowing full well how little time off Spectrum officers actually got off.

He did visit her at other points in the year but the Christmas visit was the only time they talked about the past and that was why she regarded him as the ghost from Christmas past.

So much had changed. Life had gone on. Time had flown.

She didn't realise she was staring at the phone on the table until her great great granddaughter bustled into the room, waving a painting she had created.

"Look Grandmama!" she yelled joyfully, "I drew you in your plane!"

The five-year-old launched herself at her, sticking the painting right under her nose.

Simone laughed as she took the painting off of the young blonde-haired live-wire and put on her purple rimmed glasses to take a closer look at the offered painting.

"Yes, it's very good, Monica," she praised.

The painting was very accurate. Three Falcon Interceptors on a dark blue sky. She'd gotten all the decals in the right place, and spelt the names on the fuselages correctly. The painting was like something expected from an eleven year old; Monica certainly had an eye and a talent for art and Simone had a feeling that she'd become an artist when she was older.

The mind of a wise woman.

Monica smiled.

"Monica," her mother shouted from downstairs, "come down here, young lady."

"Go on," Simone urged her, a tinkle her blue eyes.

The five-year-old left her painting as she zoomed off. Simone heard her thunder down the stairs and run into the dining area of the three storey building she shared with her oldest granddaughter, a famous novelist and her own young little family.

As the ninety-three year old woman removed her glasses, her smile faded along with the sparkle in her eyes.

Her long blonde hair had long faded to silver with the decades that had passed. Her skin had wrinkled and lost its elasticity and her joints had become riddled with arthritis.

The latter years of the war of nerves hadn't been kind to her but retirement had. Watching her grandchildren grow had been a real treat and now she was the storyteller to her great grandchildren and with that her smile returned.

The phone rang and it made her jump but she quickly answered it.

"Hello?"

At least her voice sounded the same as always.

"Hello, Destiny," replied a familiar voice.

And like a light bulb, her face lit up, revealing the angel within.

"Paul, how lovely to hear from you again so soon," she said cheerfully.

"Nice to hear you again too, Destiny, I'll see you this afternoon. I'm ground side checking a couple of the British bases so I'll drop by before I return to Cloudbase."

"That's wonderful!" she replied, "I'll look forward to it. Monica will be very excited when she finds out you're coming. Did you know she's becoming quite an artist? No doubt she'll want to show you her work!"

Scarlet laughed. "I can't wait to see them!" he replied.

"Take care, Paul," she told him.

"Will do, you do the same, I know what you're like for causing trouble," he replied cheekily.

Destiny Angel tutted as Captain Scarlet ended the call.

Her granddaughter entered the room carrying a small tray laden with tea and sandwiches.

"I take it that was Paul," she said as she put the tray down on the small table in front of her grandmother, her blue eyes twinkling with life.

"Sure was," Simone replied, the retired Angel putting the phone back in its small dock on the table, "he'll be here later today."

"Grandpapa Paul is coming?" asked Monica in delight as she ran into the light and airy room.

Simone nodded.

"He sure is."

The five-year-old squealed happily.

"I can show Grandpapa Paul my paintings!" she said excitedly.

"Yes you can," her mother replied, "now c'mon Van Gough, lets get you cleaned up so Grandpapa doesn't mistake you for one of your paintings."

The five-year-old laughed and giggled as she was frogmarched into the nearest bathroom.

Simone stood up and went over to a cabinet on the other side of the room with the help of her walking stick, opened a drawer and took out a digital photo frame.

She went back to her seat by the table and switched on the photo frame.

Once the machine had powered up she began flicking through the various images from her working life; her life as Angel Leader.


End file.
